The town's 2015 educator of the year said her goal is to expose students to computer science at a younger age, as they are less likely to develop fixed ideas about things.

"Computer science has everything to offer," she said. "It's always changing. It requires a lot of collaboration and it lends itself to work by yourself when you are doing your own problem-solving. It's portable."

Fearrington was recently named the school system's educator of the year at the May 26 board of education meeting. Earlier in the school year, she led the schools' "Hour of Code," designed to expose students at all levels to the basics of computer programming.

"My big thing is it's not about me, it's about promoting computer science," Fearrington said. "I appreciate the recognition and the fact that it recognizes the importance of computer science in education."

Fearrington said she's taught at the high school for the past seven years. Before that, she worked as a computer programmer and analyst for IBM in Atlanta. She graduated from Clemson University with a major in computer science.

After staying home with her children, Fearrington said she realized the best use of her time would be to teach computer science and completed the state's alternate route to certification program for teachers.

Fearrington said society is based on computer science and technology, and with a computer science degree, people aren't locked into one discipline or profession.

"What Melissa is doing with students in that program … is simply remarkable," Superintendent Matt Curtis said at the May 26 school board meeting. "The program has grown significantly over the course of several years under Melissa."

Junior Matt Krajewski said that although coding is a difficult skill to pick up, Fearrington made it easy to understand.

"Mrs. Fearrington taught us how to logically solve problems," he said. "She will spend time after school for students who are having trouble."